Getting Felicity to Give More than Dorothy

Just months after the Philanthropy Review published its call to action, the Give More campaign launches, and not a moment too soon. The roller coaster ride, particularly for those charities struggling to meet increased demand with shrinking resources, seems never-ending.

Here’s why, as a fundraiser and a donor, I believe that the emergence of this donor-led national campaign to celebrate giving and to encourage those who can to give more is the biggest news for the sector in 2012.

As a fundraiser, I was disturbed to learn that fewer people give to charity today than 30 years ago. And I worry that Felicity Donor might not live up to Dorothy’s generous nature. So I welcome the Give More campaign with a whoop.

What better way of galvanising support for giving than a national campaign where people from all walks of life, including high profile celebrities and business leaders, stand proud as donors and pledge to give more?  While we’re at it, what better excuse for making 2012 the year of uplift fundraising?

As a donor meanwhile, with a growing number of others, I am making my own personal pledge to give more to the charities I most care about in 2012.

As part of the 2011 Philanthropy Review I began to question my own giving habits. I had always been proud of being part of a generation that grew up with street fundraising; as a result I have a number of direct debits to charities I know and admire. But in conversations with committed philanthropists, it dawned on me that direct debit giving means that I give to charity in much the same way as I pay my utility bills – and where’s the fun in that? Naturally, my charities mean a lot more to me than my gas supplier or mobile provider.

You see, as a fundraiser I had become lazy about my giving. Happy to respond to quality asks – particularly on the street – I never proactively sought out charities to support. So my personal pledge in 2012 is to reassess my giving. This may seem simple but I’m ready to ask myself two questions:

1. How much can I afford to give? And yes, when I think about it,  I know I could afford to dig deeper and probably double my annual giving.

2. Which charities should I support? There are several causes that are important to me and there is no way I want to see the charities I most care about struggle at this time so if I can do a little more for them then I will.

I’m under no illusion – my own giving will never single-handedly turn around the fortunes of any organisation. But that’s the power behind the Give More campaign. With donors from all walks of life ready to make their own personal pledges to give more in 2012, together we really can make a difference. And perhaps us Felicitys might match or even exceed Dorothy in our generosity.

Rowena Lewis is director of fundraising at Gingerbread and former project lead for the Philanthropy Review. She is on the steering group for Give More, a 12-month campaign to encourage people to give more, and to get us all talking more about giving. For more information about the campaign, and to pledge your support, visit www.givemore.org.uk